IN THE LAND OF THE BORA. 173 



must return to rny first Mostar experiences. 

 Less than a fortnight after my arrival I was 

 invited to a municipal fox-drive, organized by 

 the Sub-Prefect. The rendezvous (7 a.m.) was 

 on the saddle which joins the isolated hill called 

 the Hum, at the western corner of the town, to 

 the main line of hills, and which overlooks the 

 Cesma valley one way and the Jansenica the 

 other. Here over a score of sportsmen were 

 assembled — -officers, officials, and natives, the 

 latter including Ibrahim Beg, the burgomaster 

 of the town, a very genial Turk, with a weakness 

 for making speeches in and out of season. Before 

 the Occupation he was in the Sultan's service 

 here. 



The first beat was on the Mostar side of the 

 Hum ; but, unfortunately, the beaters (townsmen) 

 were iu too great a hurry, and began before the 

 guns were in position. Consequently several 

 foxes, which were early on foot, detected the 

 moving forms of the sportsmen, and, crossing 

 down towards the town, escaped without being 

 shot at. I had loaded with a bullet in my left 

 barrel, but seeing that my position faced a suburb, 

 and further on the town itself, and that I should 

 probably enfilade the former, if not indeed the 

 latter too, I changed the cartridge directly I was 

 posted. Need I say that a fox came and stood 

 for two good minutes some eighty yards to my 



